Attraction expected to open at Wizarding World of Harry Potter July 8

ORLANDO, Fla. - Universal Orlando on Wednesday announced that Diagon Alley at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will officially open on July 8.

Harry Potter cast members and the Universal Orlando president made the announcement on Wednesday morning at a media event in Orlando.

The announcement comes five days after a hidden flash animation was spotted on the Universal Orlando website implying an opening date of June 30.

In May, the theme park announced that the centerpiece of the new Harry Potter-themed area at Universal Orlando will take visitors into Gringotts Bank to help retrieve a magical object and re-create a scene from the wildly popular book and movie series.

Universal executives said the ride will be called "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts."

In a post on YouTube, Universal said, "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts will be the signature ride of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Diagon Alley. It will be a groundbreaking, multi-dimensional thrill ride that will place riders in the middle of an incredible adventure as they navigate their way through the Gringotts vaults."

Copyright 2014 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.